When people talk about Pat Fitzgerald, they say he has great vision. So an extension through 2020 was a natural. "I don't think I was smart enough to think of that," joked Northwestern athletic director Jim Phillips. But the school appears wise in locking up Fitzgerald until the rest of his hair turns gray. The new 10-year deal, sources told the Tribune, is worth about $1.8 million per season. That figure is significant only because it shows Fitzgerald's commitment to his alma mater.

Northwestern's top offensive players, Kain Colter and Venric Mark, are day-to-day with ankle injuries heading into Saturday's game against Minnesota. There's more optimism regarding Colter, who likely could have returned to the 35-6 loss at Wisconsin had the game been close. Mark rushed just three times Saturday, and his last mention in the play-by-play was his fair catch of a first-quarter punt. “He came in for another play on offense,” NU coach Pat Fitzgerald said. “Then he said he couldn't go.” Mark missed three other games with what was believed to be a hamstring injury.

Venric Mark's season is over, Northwestern coach Pat Fitzgerald said Monday. NU's star tailback and All-America punt returner will be shut down after a left leg injury that limited him to one full game and parts of two others this season. Northwestern plans to seek a medical hardship waiver for Mark, giving him a fifth season of eligibility. Mark will be made available to the media Tuesday. “Things have happened to him that have been out of his control,” Fitzgerald said.

Knee surgery will end the season of Northwestern starting cornerback Daniel Jones, coach Pat Fitzgerald announced Monday. But Fitzgerald said that quarterback Kain Colter and tailback Venric Mark are “day-to-day.” Mark has a “lower-body issue” that flared up in August, with Fitzgerald saying: “I wouldn't say he came out of camp 100 percent, but pretty close.” Colter got a concussion on NU's second play from scrimmage. As for when Fitzgerald will know about his availability for Saturday's game against Syracuse: “You'll see it when I see it. Practices aren't closed.” The Wildcats will practice Tuesday and Wednesday afternoon at Lakeside Field.

Northwestern linebacker Eric Wilson, who earned three Practice Player of the Week honors last season while redshirting as a freshman, has been granted permission to transfer, the school said Tuesday. Wilson was a three-star prospect and rated the 25thoverall prospect in the state of Michigan. “We thank Eric for his contributions to the program and wish him nothing but the best in the future," NU coach Pat Fitzgerald said. Wilson would have vied for a role as a backup outside linebacker.

In the time it took Mike Jensen to climb to the top of Northwestern's depth chart, he switched positions, was named to NU's Leadership Council three times and got married. But during the four years he rose from walk-on defensive back to special teams dynamo to starting receiver, Jensen said he never thought about giving up. "I love this game too much," he said. Jensen goes 6-feet and 190 pounds and had no scholarship offers coming out of The Bishop's School near San Diego.

As a tomboy growing up in rural Virginia, Darby Dunnagan received this message from her mother: Don't let anyone tell you that you can't do something because you're a female. "She ate her words," Dunnagan recalled, "when I came home and told her I wanted to play football. " And play she did. The only girl on her middle-school team, Dunnagan started on the offensive line. "My sister was a cheerleader at the time," Dunnagan recalled. "Sometimes she and my mom would be waiting for me and they'd hear, 'That girl on the team, she hit a lot harder than I thought.' " Dunnagan loved football and was not afraid to be a pioneer.

Northwestern is ready - finally - to build the multipurpose lakefront facility that football coach Pat Fitzgerald says will be a "game-changer" for his program. Donations have poured in despite the Wildcats' 5-7 record last season. Sources said construction of the two-building complex will begin by early 2015 and should take about two years to complete. The school will announce Friday, the Tribune has learned, that it is launching a new fundraising campaign and that Mark and Kimbra Walter have donated $40 million to be used for athletics and law school scholarships.

Injured Northwestern linebacker Pat Fitzgerald is logging his frequent-flier miles. Fitzgerald flew to Los Angeles over the weekend to film the Associated Press All-American show with Bob Hope. When his teammates arrived here Sunday night, Fitzgerald had already left for Charlotte, N.C., where he picked up the Bronko Nagurski Award on Monday as the defensive player of the year from the Football Writers Association of America. Linebackers Kevin Hardy of Illinois and Zach Thomas of Texas Tech, end Cornell Brown of Virginia Tech and cornerback Chris Canty of Kansas State also were nominated.